This year I am really pleased to have had four paintings selected for the show.

All my paintings this year focus on the effect of light in urban spaces. I decided to explore the mystery of shadows and radiant light.

Rupert Street, Soho, 18" x 9", Oil on Board, 2014

This is a scene from Rupert Street Soho at Night. I was
working on a commission when I got the idea for this painting. This is
typical Soho at night. Rupert Street has many night clubs and the neon
lights at night are just explosive. I exaggerated the colour to have a
saturated warmth and included two main figures to balance the abstracted
crowds in the background. I really love painting night scenes as they
are mainly about tones and very little about temperature.

Summer Heat, Edinburgh, 16" x 20", Oil on canvas, 2014

This is a scene from an Edinburgh Street in the blazing afternoon in Summer. I tried my best to move totally from the normal local colours of a scene like this to a warm blazed colour scheme. I was drawn to the scene because of the reflective wall on the right. It almost seemed like a scene with in the scene. I thought it added a lot of drama to what would have been an ordinary street scene.

Morning Light, Sloane Square, 20" x 30", Oil on canvas, 2014

This is a scene from Sloane Square. For those of you conversant with my blog, you'll know I love Sloane Square! I can paint this area all year through. This time I was totally mesmerized by the powerful radiant morning light from the right side of Sloane Square Station. It was the abstract shape and it's effect on the few figures emerging from the Station in the morning that made it irresistible for me!

Summer Shadows, Marylebone, 8" x 20", Oil on board, 2014

And the last painting I have in the show is a scene from Marylebone. The one thing that drew me in here was the back lighting! Everything was in pure silhouette apart from the sky and the effect of light on the foreground. I just love when light explodes in the background of an urban space in this fashion!

The whole exhibition is a visual feast! If you are in London or around London and you love oil paintings, take a trip down to the Mall Galleries for this great show, you'll enjoy it! But if you can't make it you can see some of the works online by clicking HERE.

Tuesday, October 07, 2014

After the success of "EVERYTHING I KNOW ABOUT SKETCHING" in August, I'm taking on a new workshop on the 29th of October, 2014 (WEDNESDAY) at Harris Academy, Falconwood. It is all about the URBAN LANDSCAPE, Some call it CITSCAPES, or TOWNSCAPES or URBANSCAPES or STREETSCENES!

This workshop is all about how to paint Convincing and Expressive Landscapes indoors!

St Pauls

After a Demonstration with Knockholt Art Group on a London street Scene

The Royal Academy in progress

Bank of England in progress

The video below gives you a quick run down of what we'll be covering.

I paint a lot outdoors, and I bring the knowledge of what I have gained outdoors, indoors. Both of these types of painting inform each other.

Adebanji capturing Morning Light, Chelsea Riverside, indoors

Morning Light, Chelsea Riverside (This is the painting Adebanji was working on, in the picture above)

"If you are able to understand how to approach the painting indoor, it will really help while you are outdoor."

Adebanji working outdoors. (there's nothing stopping you from achieving both effects. Outdoor and indoors)

Summerlight Chelsea World's End- the completed painting which Adebanji was painting in the picture above

Moreover winter is on its way and not everyone might like what you see below!

I had about 10 layers on......

Also had my Eskimo Ice breakers on......

If you are up for this, please register by clicking this link HEREOr email me by clicking HERE, if you are interested and you can come with your payment on the day, if you don't use PayPal facilities.

Below are list of what you'll learn while painting on the day.

How to paint convincing and expressive Urban landscapes-indoors.

What to look for outdoors to give your indoor paintings that spark of the outdoors!

Making colour notes.

The importance of an abstract pattern with a very good value plan.

Approaching your painting with a layering and corrective process with the mind of a sketcher.

How to scale your pictures to suit the size of the ground you are going to be working on. Both the traditional way and with the Accurasee App.

How to put figures and cars into the painting through the silhouette method without getting bogged down with much detail.

How to simplify perspective in three simple steps.

The best times to take pictures.

Making your painting a personal statement and developing a painters shorthand that suggests rather than copies.

And most importantly, get direction and help from Adebanji while you work on your paintings after the break.

Tuesday, September 30, 2014

WINNING THE HAROLD RILEY PRIZE! As part of the Buxton Spa Art Prize this year, there was a unique prize sponsored by Harold Riley to award £2,000 to any of the participants in the Buxton Art Prize. I am so happy to announce I won the prize! It mean the world to me! Getting great recognition for my addictive habit!
He (Harold Riley) mentioned this about the Prize, "I am sponsoring a prize which I think may be unique in the UK. All artists have sketch/workbooks which grasp initial visionary thoughts which aid competitors and capture the essence of a yet to be painted work. Such books are rarely seen publicly although they offer an insight into the creative instincts of the artist. The prize offers the opportunity to allow others an insight into the mind of an artist."

Adebanji With Prize, Certificate and The Sketchbook at The Greenman Gallery Buxton, Exhibition runs till October 12th, 2014

Adebanji sketching as the official Sketchographer at a Wedding in London, The sketches at this wedding were part of the sketches in the Winning Sketchbook.

One of the sketchspreads in the Winning Sketchbook- I sketched these on my way to submit the sketchbook at Buxton

Below (on the Video) is how the inside of the whole sketchbook looked, I recorded it myself at the Greenman Gallery, Buxton.

WORKSHOP WITH FULHAM SOCIETY OF ARTISTS AND POTTERS

This took place on the 15th of August, 2014. There were about 13 in attendance and they all enjoyed the day with a real buzz.

This workshop was all about the Urban Landscape. I did a 90 minute demo on one of my favourite spots in London, Kensington Church Street! After the Demo they all got down to working out there urban Landscapes with assistance from me.

The Title of this workshop was the Urban Landscape, with the Fulham Society of Artists & Potters

WORKSHOP ON "EVERYTHING I KNOW ABOUT SKETCHING" This was held on the 27th of August, 2014 at Harris Academy. There were 5 in attendance and we had a model for the day too!

Adebanji and the participants at the Workshop, "Everything I know about Sketching"

Participants working on the Sketching techniques, especially BLIND CONTOUR!

Highlights of the Ghosting Technique with Charcoal Dust, water and Oil Base Pencil.

Here I shared all my tips, secrets and techniques on Everything I know about Sketching!

Highlights of a more detailed sketch from beginning to end-Just like I would do it on the Train or Tube. This was done with a Black BIC ball point Pen and N75 TOMBOW ABT Dual wash Pen

Highlights of painting in colour from black and white sketches-I painted this from a black and white sketch.

2 WORKSHOPS AT MOLESKINE SHOP, COVENT GARDEN This took place on the 6th of September. I held two Learning sessions at the Moleskine Store at Covent Garden. All Workshops were Sold out and the whole day was great and wonderful!

On the way to the workshop with the full Arsenal ready to sketch!

One of the sketches I did on the day at Covent Garden.

Sketching a figure and the surroundings at Moleskine Store, Covent Garden

Showing some examples of past sketches at Covent Garden after the demonstration.

Sketching a figure and the surroundings at Moleskine Store, Covent Garden

During a demonstration at Covent Garden

This was a workshop done in collaboration with UrbanSketchers and Moleskine. I tried out their new Sketch Album which is great for pen and pencil work.

That's me and Olha, we both did learning sessions at The Moleskine Store, Covent Garden.

2 HOUR DEMONSTRATION WITH KNOCKHOLT ART GROUP

This was a 2 hour demonstration that took place on the 18th of September with The Knockholt Art Group, Seveoaks. There were 31 people in attendance and I did a Demo on a "London Street Scene" explaining my techniques and thoughts as I painted in acrylic.

Adebanji after the 2 hour Demonstration with the Knockholt Art Group

Participants at the Knockholt Art Group Demo.

After the Demo with the Palette.

WORKSHOP WITH SEVENOAKS ART GROUP This took place on the 20th of September with the Sevenoaks Art Society. 12 people were in attendance. They were great and hosted a wonderful 5 star Lunch....I must go back there! It was exciting.

After the demonstration with my palette at the Sevenoaks art Society

For this Workshop I did a 90 minute demonstration on how I paint crowded scenes. After the break they produced some great work too!

After the Workshop at Sevenoaks with all participants

MY NEXT WORKSHOP!!!!!!!!!Watch out for my next Workshop which will be taking place on the 29th of October, 2014 (10am-4pm) at Harris Academy and it is going to be on the URBAN LANDSCAPE! Don't miss itIf you are in London or nearby in October please register now! Click HERE for details!Please share, like and comment if you enjoyed this post with the social media buttons below.

Wednesday, August 20, 2014

I've been running this sketching blog since 2006 and a lot of my readers have always asked for a hands on practical workshop- So I'm delighted to announce that I'll be holding an intensive one day WORKSHOP on "Everything I know about Sketching!".

SPECIAL QUOTE"I want you to see things from the realization that your drawing does not need to be a house. the view that you must take is a piece of God's outdoors, that this is shadow and this is light. You ought to be able to tremble before it, and not sit down like a magician and try to make windows." -Hawthorne on Painting

Please feel free to share, comment of like with the social media buttons below

DOCUMENTARY : Adebanji Alade- The Addictive Sketcher

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WHAT INSPIRES ME TO KEEP SKETCHING

"Drawing is everything. When I was sixteen, I made over 400 drawings during that winter and spring. I drew mostly with a 2B pencil on typewriter paper. I drew during every spare moment. I’m heartened when I see your sketchbooks and see the way you’re always drawing at the Concept workshops. You remind me of me. When I was teaching university, I was disheartened by students who hadn’t paid their drawing dues, for unless you practice, you simply don’t know how to make lovely lines."-William Whitaker"Drawing is the basis of everything. All the way through the painting you must be questioning the drawing, right up to the very end. Otherwise you get the drawing right and fill it in with colour. As long as you get the effect you want, that's the important thing. You can use a piece of rag, a sable brush, a hoghair brush or a knife - it doesn't matter what."

PLEIN AIR

Pages

Socrates on Brazil and their failure in the 2010 World Cup

"Brazilians are very creative and the way this team was, it was not like that".

"It was very predictable - we don't do things correctly like Europeans, we like to improvise.

"Football is an art and players should be allowed to show creativity. If the coach gives freedom to the players to play the way they know how, they can do it.

"If [painters] Vincent van Gogh and Edgar Degas had known when they were doing their work the level of recognition that they were going to have, they would not have done them the same. You have to enjoy doing the art and not think 'will I win?'".

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About Me

I am a little bloke with a big heart. I love the LORD cos he made me what I am today. I have a wonderful wife Ruth and a budding painter boy JOSH! He is 7 and a little girl who is 3!
I love sketching the human face, especially the people I meet from day to day, people I may never meet again!
So I sieze the opportunity, it's something that keeps me loving the place we all share.